What would you do if you ended up in prison for a murder you didn’t commit, while your daughter is fighting for her life?
Would you put your faith in the police and the justice system, or would you grab the slightest chance to escape with both hands?

We meet Ciara, who is faced with both of these impossible situations.
You constantly get the feeling that no matter what Ciara does, she’s backed into a corner with no way out. Until a tragic event suddenly shows her a glimmer of light at the end of a long, dark tunnel. Hopefully, it's a train leading her to answers – and not one that sends her over the edge…

I admire Ciara. She keeps fighting and takes multiple risks to prove her innocence. Meanwhile, the clock is ticking when it comes to her daughter’s health. There, too, she faces a life-or-death battle.

The author keeps the tension high throughout, and I loved the twists and turns woven into the story. Some were brilliant, others maybe a bit too coincidental.
The decisions Ciara makes are admirable and brave, though I didn’t always find them entirely believable. That’s why this book gets a solid 4 stars from me.

Thank you

Ciara's marriage to Morgan has been troubled for some time, even though he has been a good stepfather to her young daughter Sally before this. And she has appreciated that not only because of Sally's health problems, but also because Ciara has been keeping a problematic secret regarding her daughter.

Despite their marital issues the last thing she expects to find is to wake up with Morgan's dead body in their bed with a knife through his corpse, with Ciara being accused of his murder.

You can always rely on Amanda Cassidy to tell a gripping story, but this one is particularly complicated and provides many unexpected twists. It should satisfy even the most experienced thriller reader!

The Stranger Inside is a tightly wound, emotionally charged thriller that had me questioning every character’s truth—including the protagonist’s. Amanda Cassidy crafts a story that feels like peeling back layers of polished perfection only to find something much darker simmering underneath.

From the beginning, I was hooked by the tension—not just in the mystery itself, but in the relationships, the silences, the things left unsaid. Cassidy plays with memory, trauma, and identity in a way that’s both gripping and unsettling. As the story unfolded, I found myself constantly shifting loyalties, unsure who to trust, and completely unable to stop turning pages.

What I appreciated most was how grounded it felt emotionally. Yes, there are twists, but they hit harder because the characters feel real—their grief, their fear, their denial. It’s not just about what happened. It’s about how people live with what happened, how they bury it, reshape it, or let it destroy them.

If you’re drawn to psychological thrillers that are as much about the emotional aftermath as the crime itself, The Stranger Inside delivers. Taut, smart, and quietly devastating—it lingers long after the last page.

Wow, what a fantastic book! This is the first book that I’ve read by this author, but it certainly won’t be the last. I was drawn in from page 1 and couldn’t put it down as the twists kept coming. I’d definitely recommend it.

This was a dark, atmospheric thriller with a strong emotional undercurrent. The Stranger Inside explores the aftermath of a horrific crime and how it impacts those left behind, especially the victim’s sister, Rachel. It’s part mystery, part psychological drama, and it really digs into themes like trauma, grief and guilt.

The pace is steady rather than fast, but the tension builds nicely as secrets start to surface. Amanda Cassidy writes with empathy, and while some parts are tough to read emotionally, it never feels gratuitous. The setting — a small Irish community — adds to the claustrophobic feel, and the twists keep you guessing without feeling forced.

If you like your thrillers layered and character-driven, this one is worth picking up.

Thank you, Netgalley and Canelo, for this ARC.

From the moment I read the description for this book, I was drawn in. I was shocked by the twist as it was truly unexpected. This book was unlike one I have read before. My only downside is I felt like there were a few different things happening along the storyline, and I had to keep up with that. Overall, it was an enjoyable thrilling experience.

This book is an intense, emotional rollercoaster that grabs you from the first page and doesn’t let go. It’s a dark and gripping psychological thriller, filled with suspense, shocking twists, and raw emotion. The story follows midwife Ciara Duffy, who wakes to find her husband murdered beside her and is swiftly arrested for the crime. With her gravely ill daughter depending on her, and no one to trust, Ciara faces an impossible choice—stay and fight or run for her life.

The writing is sharp, the atmosphere chilling, and the exploration of trauma, identity, and secrets is both powerful and thought-provoking. As a mother, the fear of being separated from your child hits hard, making Ciara’s journey all the more haunting. The plot is fast-paced and packed with tension, though at times it may feel like there’s almost too much happening. Still, it’s a story that digs deep into the messy parts of human nature and keeps you turning the pages.

While the ending may feel a bit far-fetched to some, it doesn’t take away from what is overall a smart, addictive, and haunting read. Highly recommended for fans of psychological thrillers with emotional depth and unexpected turns.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers and the author for the chance to give an honest review in exchange for an ARC.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Canelo for the advance copy.

This book wastes no time diving into the action — it’s packed with drama, tension, and plenty of unexpected turns. At times, the plot felt slightly overcrowded, but the emotional weight carried it through. As a parent, the idea of being separated from your child really struck a chord with me, and Ciara’s situation was incredibly affecting. The narrative kept me hooked throughout, though I have to admit, the conclusion stretched believability a bit too far for my taste. Still, it was a compelling and worthwhile read.

I was questioning everything right from the off. And the when she went out and saw something on her baby monitor I knew,I knew this was about to begin in earnest pace. And boy was I right. The mother comes home. The mother sees nothing out of the norm. OK...right? No nothing will ever be right again or so it seems because when pur mother, Ciara then wakes she finds her husband dead. And she of course is suspect number one. Now she mist decided what to do. Her child needs her. She's innocent! So can she wait for justice when justice has already been shown to pass her by. Or does she go into survival mode and get out of there by any means?
What would we do? What does she do? Well you are in for a frantic and delicious ride to find out. This book is sharp and the plot of smart. It knows exactly where its going to take you and how.
Brill. A unique take for a thriller plot too.

Gripping
Gritty
Galvanizing

The Stranger Inside followed Ciara Duffy when she returned home one night and found her husband stabbed to death. Moments before, she’d seen a suspicious figure in the house via a baby monitor app—but when she rushed back, the house was empty. The police didnt believe her, and she was arrested for the murder.

Amanda Cassidy’s writing style was clear and woven with a sense of urgency and tension. From the start, she set the tone with a dark and gritty atmosphere that mirrored the main characters grim circumstances. I immediately felt a connection to the main character. It was disheartening to follow her as she fought for justice and her child.

I liked how Cassidy’s wrote a tight and purposeful narrative. More specifically, the short chapters that ended with suspenseful hooks had me thoroughly engaged. I also liked how Cassidy built on the characters’ emotional complexity. This allowed for the characters to unravel in a realistic way. They felt genuinely human. Even more, I liked how the twists were grounded and didn’t feel overly dramatic. Cassidy revealed subtle clues and structured the narrative to seamlessly blend the past and present timelines naturally. Lastly, Cassidy incorporated common tropes often seen in psychological mystery thrillers but she also focused on one that I hadn’t read often. That said, I was most intrigued by the main theme of a woman being wrongfully accused and how the psychological toll of wrongful imprisonment and the desperation was fueled by the quest for truth.

Overall, I am so appreciative to Net Galley and Canelo for an advance copy. If it weren’t for them giving me a copy, I would have missed out on “new to me” talented author. For those readers that appreciate psychological mystery thrillers that are utterly tense, emotionally driven, and sharply observant, you will want to read “The Stranger Inside”.

Thank you to Net Galley and Canelo for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book was intense, emotional, and totally addictive. It’s one of those stories where you think you know what’s going on… and then the rug gets pulled out from under you. The way it explores trauma, identity, and the secrets people carry? So well done.

The writing was sharp, the atmosphere eerie, and the twists? Chef’s kiss. If you like psychological thrillers that dig deep into the messy parts of human nature, this one’s for you.

Dark, smart, and haunting in the best way. Couldn’t put it down.

Midwife Ciara Duffy goes to sleep and wakes in the small hours to find her husband beside her stabbed through the heart. Soon she is arrested and charged with his murder. You get one chance to run. Ciara knows she is innocent. She has no one to rely on. Meanwhile, her young daughter is gravely ill. Ciara has to fight by any means necessary. Do you take it?! Great read! This book had suspense, murder, mystery, intrigue, and a few shocking twists and turns! The story was very interesting! I definitely recommend reading this book! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

Thanks to Netgalley and Canelo for this pre-release copy.

Right from the outset, you can tell this story is fast-paced with lots of twists. There are so many ingredients in the pot (possibly a few too many?). Such emotion. As a mother myself, the thought of not being able to be there for your child is just the worst, so when Ciara is locked up, you really feel that raw emotion. The story gripped me, but I found the ending a bit too far-fetched. An enjoyable read none the less.

This was a great fast paced suspense thriller, full of secrets! I highly recommend this book to my fellow thriller readers.

I couldn't read this fast enough!
Action packed and heart racing.
How much can one woman cope with and makes you question what you would do?
One of the best, fast paced books i have read in a while.
My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my copy.
Big five stars from me.

Ciara, a midwife, daughter of a retired high ranking Garda, married to Morgan, and mother to Sally, slips out to the shop to grab dinner while her husband is away on business leaving her daughter & friend home alone for 10mins.
Ciara thinks she sees someone on the home monitor app and scrambles back…. After that night, nothing is ever the same again. A Garda investigation, a murder, the wrong person identified as a suspect, a previous crime from a previous life. Everything is happening and everything is relevant. A brilliant book with cliffhangers at every turn. Highly recommended. Thanks to the publisher and author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

I LOVED THIS BOOK! This book definitely should be on everyone’s must-read list and it stayed with me long after I read it!

It was fantastic in EVERY way! I literally had NO WAY of working out what was going to happen until the end I was holding my breath as I just couldn’t stop reading until the end – I had to know!

This book was filled with twists and turns and I was engrossed from start to finish. It had many jaw-dropping twists- prepare to be on the edge of your seat until the very end as I was!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars!

Review of ‘The Stranger Inside’ by Amanda Cassidy, due to be published on 7 August 2025 by Canelo.

Ciara pops out leaving a camera trained on her daughter, and is shocked to see a shadowy figure appear on the screen. She quickly returns home, but nothing is out of place, there is no intruder, her daughter didn’t see anything and there is no recording of what she saw.

That night, after going to the bathroom, Ciara returns to find the dead body of her husband lying in the bed. The finger of suspicion is firmly pointed at her, she swears she didn’t kill him, but nobody believes her.

Ciara faces a race against time to prove her innocence, finding out shocking secrets that have been buried, culminating in an epic showdown to the truth.

A fast paced, gripping read full of uncertainty and suspense, recommended read.

The Stranger Inside tells the story of Ciara, who's wrongfully accused of her husband's murder. Her nine year-old daughter Sally is ill and Ciara must make a choice: either face the legal system or take matters into her hands. Can Ciara solve her husband's murder before the police find her?

WOW this novel has left me stunned. My jaw is still on the floor! I was sucked into the story from the beginning. I loved Ciara, she's such a strong woman who represents every mother out there who would do anything for their children. She KNOWS she is speaking her truth and she is going to do whatever it takes to find out what happened to her husband -even if it involves running away from the law!

This was super fast-faced, the perfect one-sitting read. Cancel everything, lock yourself up in a room and don't let anyone interrupt because this is the kind of book that you will want to read just one more page!!

A solid 5-star.